We continually monitor & assess student progress in a variety of ways using the three following categories:
student discussions
small group collaborative conversations
independent reading & writing
student/teacher conferences
student presentations
group discussions
whole-class conversations
writer's notebook
exit tickets, reflections
poems, stories, essays
quizzes, tests, projects
Retakes are offered in English class in an effort to help every student reach his/her potential. Please consult the following guidelines and procedures regarding retakes.
Any student may ask to re-do any assignment, regardless of his/her initial grade. Students must ask their teacher for permission to retake an assignment. Retakes are allowed at teacher discretion.
No retakes will be allowed during the last week of a nine weeks’ grading period. This is to allow time for the teacher to prepare and submit grades.
Please be aware that alternative versions of the assignment may be used for the retake (a new prompt, assignment topic, etc.).
Students should access the Relearning Plan which guides students through the retake process. The Relearning Plan steps must be completed in order, and all steps must be finished prior to the grade being updated in the grade book, including the Letter to the Teacher and parent signature. During the mandatory tutorial in Step 1, students will review their initial attempt and develop a plan for relearning with their teacher.
Resubmissions are accepted for full credit, and the new grade will replace the previous score in the grade book.
Please be advised that retakes are provided in an effort to help students reach the necessary level of content mastery. Therefore, when determining eligibility for a retake, teachers will consider the student's current level of mastery on the concepts measured. If sufficient mastery has been demonstrated, a retake may not be permitted, regardless of the student's numerical grade.
The semester exam is designed to measure a student’s ability to transfer his/her understandings to new, unfamiliar situations/texts. Exams are administered during the last week of each semester. The exam consists of the following elements:
The semester exam essay counts for 25% of the total semester exam score. Students will be provided with the prompt approximately one week prior to the exam essay completion. One class period will be provided for planning the essay, during which students may solicit feedback and guidance as needed. A second class period will be provided for students to write their 1-page on-demand exam essay without feedback or guidance from the teacher. Essays are graded holistically based on how the identified characteristics work together to create an effective essay.
Prior to the administration of the semester exam, students will be allowed to read a passage that will be tested on the exam. During the reading, students are expected to read silently and independently in class, writing notes in the margins and annotating the text as they see fit. Teachers may not provide instruction, though students may discuss the selection together. The passage will be collected at the end of class, securely stored, and returned to the students on exam day.
The objective portion of the exam counts for 75% of the total semester exam score. This multiple choice portion of the exam consists of both reading questions and language study questions to test objectives studied within the semester. A semester exam practice packet will be provided to students in advance of exam day to allow time for students to review and prepare for the exam.
STAAR Testing Dates (2020-2021) - Dates subject to change
Math 8 - April 6, 2021
Reading 8 - April 7, 2021
Algebra 1 EOC - May 5, 2021
Science 8 - May 6, 2021
Social Studies 8 - May 7, 2021
MAP Testing Administration Dates (2020-2021)
August 2020
November 2020
April 2021